It's unclear where exactly Caitlyn Jenner stands on anything these these days. Yes, she's done phenomenal things that have significantly furthered our national conversation about transgender equality that should not be overlooked. But her recent commentary on our circus of an election has voters on both sides scratching their heads. Shortly after calling Hillary Clinton a "political hack" and a "fucking liar," she shared a photograph with the Dem candidate on Twitter with the hashtags "#learningfrommygirls" and "#willingtolisten." This followed comments Jenner had already made in support of the Republican party. Earlier this month she offered her two cents on who she feels is the right person for the job. Her pick for president? Sen. Ted Cruz.
In an interview with The Advocate Jenner said she hoped to become a "trans ambassador" for the Cruz administration should he win the presidency. "Wouldn’t it be great. Let’s say he goes on to be president," she said. "And I have all my girls on a trans issues board to advise him on making decisions when it comes to trans issues. Isn’t that a good idea?" The Internet exploded. An evangelical Christian, Cruz has been vocal about his opposition to transgender students having access to the bathrooms that correspond to their gender. In fact, Cruz is the least likely of the three remaining GOP candidates to open up any conversation to trans rights at all.
But Jenner's support of the Republican presidential hopefuls didn't stop there. In a recent clip from her show, I Am Cait, Jenner voiced support for Donald Trump as well. "I think he would have a hard time with women when he doesn't even realize it," she said, "and it doesn't mean he wouldn't be good for women's issues. I think he would be very good for women's issues."
The backlash from both the trans community as well as Republican voters is palpable. Both of the Democratic hopefuls have voiced their support for the trans community, and Caitlyn has herself acknowledged that the blue party is by and large far more concerned with LGBT equality. "I get it. The Democrats are better when it comes to these types of social issues," she told The Advocate. "I understand that." So fiscal policy concerns aside, what's her end game for supporting politicians who are hellbent on the erasure of the trans community? How can she support a party that refuses to acknowledge her very personhood? A party that may not even want her support?
We hit the streets to pick the brains of GOP voters to find out how they really feel about this curveball of an endorsement. See their thoughts below:
Joel, 58
Who’re you voting for and why?
I’m voting for Ted Cruz—I already voted for him in the primaries. The reason is I’m a conservative Christian, and I feel like he best represents me.
What do you think of the recent Caitlyn Jenner endorsement for Cruz?
I would not be for that. No.
What do you think about her in general?
I think that when we’re created by our God, we’re created the right way, and He makes no mistakes.
Abby, 26
You voted for Ted Cruz in Cincinnati, Ohio today. What was your reasoning?
I believe, as someone who works hard for my money and as graduate student, that I know how to handle my money better than somebody in D.C. who doesn’t know me from Adam. He represents smaller government and more money with the people. I fall in line with him more fiscally than I do on a lot of things socially. He was the best candidate of all the circus of candidates running.
Caitlyn Jenner recently endorsed him seemingly apropos of nothing. She wants to be Cruz’s "transgender ambassador," but Cruz has been vocal about his issues with transgender students and gendered bathrooms. What are your thoughts?
I was absolutely surprised. The whole Caitlyn Jenner scenario to me is somewhat mind-boggling, just because we all knew him as Bruce Jenner. He was the athlete of so many generations, and here he is now as Caitlyn Jenner. For someone who’s so set in the trans community on making a change and pushing for trans equality and helping out students that are having so many issues, like you said, to then sit down with someone like Cruz who is extremely conservative in his views socially about gendered bathrooms and trans students need to use the bathrooms for the gender they were born—I was absolutely surprised, and it seems like an oxymoron. I know that a lot of speakers in the trans community were outraged, feeling like he was kind of throwing them out to wolves in the sense that "here you are speaking for us, and here you are sitting with someone who totally oppresses us." To me it doesn’t make sense.
Rich, 36
You’re voting GOP, but you’re undecided about who your candidate is. Why is that?
I feel a lot of Americans pretend that the country is polarized. Those [far left and far right voters] are the ones that get most of the attention. But I feel like for most Americans, it’s somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately you hear people on both sides say things that get attention. There are psychos on both sides.
What do you think about Caitlyn Jenner’s GOP endorsement?
I don't think there's anything wrong with it because I don't think she should be threatened by the fact that she's transgendered. As a Republican, if he felt he was a woman that's fine. But the far right wings are crazy.
Eddy, 75
Are you voting for Cruz or Trump?
If those are the only two then I guess Trump, so far.
Is there any particular reason?
I don’t want to vote for Hillary.
What did you think of Caitlyn Jenner’s supportive comments about Donald Trump?
Meaningless.
Any particular reason why?
Caitlyn Jenner, I’m not impressed with whoever she would endorse anyway.
Do you have any feelings about her at all?
No. That’s not a person’s opinion that I would respect necessarily.
Virginia, 56
Who are you voting for?
Donald Trump.
Tell me about that?
I feel that the Republican Party, we’ve been labeled "conservative," and not all Republicans are conservatives. I can be a labeled a liberal Republican and have thoughts and beliefs based on that premise. That’s why I’m voting for Trump. Even though he’s getting negative publicity because he’s not a conservative, I don’t want a conservative Republican.
What are your thoughts on Caitlyn Jenner’s support of the GOP party?
Caitlyn can do whatever she wants, and I don’t feel any endorsement politically would sway me either way. I don’t know why it would anybody else. I don’t know why she’s been sensationalized. There are so many other people who would love to have the funds and resources to do what she did. I don’t know why she’s so "brave." There’s a lot of other brave people out there.
Harold, 55
Are you voting for Ted Cruz or Donald Trump?
Donald Trump.
How about that Caitlyn Jenner endorsement for Ted Cruz?
[Laughs sarcastically.] Why is Caitlyn Jenner or Bruce Jenner even a political figure?
Do you have any particular feelings about her in general?
Everybody’s due pursuit of happiness and whatever you want to do but it’s a little bit too much. The media are over the top. There’s 100,000 people who are walking around here the same way. How does a man become Woman of the Year is my question.
